Mass Effect Null: The Night Before The Dreams Soared Free
by addtheletters
Summary: A mysterious energy wave banished the Reapers, but has also nullified a fundamental principle of physics. The races of the galaxy can no longer traverse between worlds. It seems a dark age, a regression, for civilization. But one night on Earth, a synthetic makes dreams become true...


**Mass Effect: Null: The Night Before The Dreams Soared Free**

~A holiday tale/poem of tragedy and hope.~

There's no room for magic in a world of science. But there is room enough for miracles.

It's been seven years since the end of the war. How exactly did the war end? No one is sure. The fleets of every race had been scattered or destroyed. Every communication buoy in the galaxy was scrap metal floating in cosmic wind. By the end of the war, the speed at which messages could be sent had been once again limited by how quickly a ship could carry them.

_You need a dreamer's heart in order to…_

But everyone is sure that the war, in fact, did end. Everyone noticed when a strange energy pulse slammed through the sky of every world. Everyone noticed when, the next day, the sun rose, and the Reapers and all their minions had simply frozen.

_Find the sky that's waiting for you…_

There was celebrating, at first. The races of the galaxy had united, and together, defeated the greatest threat to their existence they'd ever known. No one cared to try and explain the energy pulse. The only thing on everyone's mind was this: they had survived; survived something that they, perhaps, didn't have the right to have survived.

_Tonight the light that's shining in the night sky…_

Then someone noticed that physics had been switched off.

_Fills me with pain because I know I can't fly…_

It happened quickly in some systems, as isolated ships emerged from hiding and attempted transit. In some others, where entire populations were grounded and abandoned, the discovery took months to occur.

_Our strength has brought us this far… _

Every drive core in existence had become inert. Hover cars couldn't hover. Weapons wouldn't fire. Ship FTL systems were rendered useless.

The mass relays were silent.

_but if we only had a little bit more…_

There were a few surviving physicists, and they called it bullshit. The element zero was still there. There was no observable damage. You couldn't turn off a fundamental law of physics like the Mass Effect.

That wasn't how science worked. That wasn't how the universe worked. Bullshit, physicists said. Pure bullshit.

_Our aim would be an endless blue sky bound by…_

Yet, seven years had passed. And still, no one could make their guns fire, their shields repel, or their ships fly.

Our technology had reverted back an entire era. Our wings had been clipped.

Now here we find ourselves. Earth. December twenty-fourth, 2193.

The multispecies forces that had fought over the surface of the Blue Marble have become its residents. Slowly, they had accepted their fate. Life continued. But the stars were now a distant dream.

_No limitations at all…_

'twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,

Not an organic was stirring, not even a mouse,

But robotic platforms, never ones to play fair,

Toiled through the night, in their virtual lair.

A young quarian rested, snug in her bed

While visions of her home world danced in her head.

Vast plains of gold, and mountains, white-capped…

If only they didn't fade when she awoke from her nap!

From the processor bank, there arose such a clatter

This young quarian rose up to see what was the matter

Straight to the wall, she went with a dash,

Her omni-tool raised, lighting up in a flash.

The geth within, of course, weren't to know

That their actions managed to frighten her so.

Can you blame her for examining their status

When, in their quarters, they'd made such a strange apparatus

A terrifying machine, it was, and so queer

Lights, blue and purple, and a clean chrome veneer

Wires branched off, this way and that

Nestled within was a comfortable-looking mat,

And right above, in the center, some strange sort of hat.

The young quarian, more curious than mad,

Asked Unit 241, "What's that you have?"

The geth was startled, stretching its flashlight head.

Before turning back, "It is a present," it said.

"A present?" the quarian wondered. "But for who?"

"With a gift of my own, I could certainly do.

"I'm stranded a billion miles from home.

"What have I done? Do I need to atone?"

"It is for you," replied Unit Two-One-Four.

"And if it's not enough, we will work on it more."

But what could be enough to make up for her loss?

Her forced diet of nothing but alien moss?

"You needn't," she said, resigned to her fate.

"For these human traditions, I feel nothing but hate.

"Now a robot is feeling sorry for me?

"I think I'd feel better with nothing under my tree."

Unit 214 looked just a little bit sad,

So her features softened; she felt bad for the lad.

"Look, it's not that I don't like you, flashlight-head,

"But stop for a moment and think of what I've said."

"I don't want to be here. I want to be free.

"As free as a bird, who can choose in which tree

"To build its nest. Now do you see?

"So unless that machine of yours grants me wings,

"Or can send me out past that gas giant's rings,

"It's useless to me. Now, do you see?

"While I'm stuck on this planet, I'll never be free."

For the longest time, the machine did not reply.

But finally, with a twist of its one glowing eye

It said, "But please, Creator, won't you give my gift just one try?"

"Fine," she sighed, taking a seat on the floor.

"What is this device, and what is it for?"

"It is a key," answered Unit Two-One-Four.

"But not quite one that opens a door.

"Take a seat within, and put that hat on your head.

"so it covers your eyes. And when that red light turns green,

"You'll be brought to a world that you've never before seen."

She took a hesitant step in and grabbed hold of the hat.

It slid neatly over her helmet, so she leaned back on the mat.

The light switched to green, and the world faded to black.

And when she reopened her eyes, her jaw went slack.

For no longer was she in the plain concrete cube of their home.

She now stood on a rough orange outcrop of stone.

The state of her suit was a slight cause for alarm.

Sunbeams shone down on her uncovered arms,

Her helmet was missing, exposing her face to the air,

Letting the wind mess up her hair.

"You haven't moved," a synthetic voice said.

"This whole world around you? It's all in your head."

"This is a fully realized virtual 3D space,"

"In which you can see, hear, touch, smell, and taste."

"It is our gift to you, Creator. That is all I can say."

Then the geth hopped on board its mystical sleigh,

And vanished into the sky, headed for lands far away.

If you looked close enough, the world was a lie.

The digital resolution could only be so high.

But what mattered wasn't how carefully you looked,

For in the end, this whole world was the same as reading a book.

A way to take yourself, in your mind's eye

And cast yourself far into the sky.

In this virtual world, imagination soared free.

And with faster-than-light just a distant memory,

Only dreamers could fly: reach their destiny.

_You need a dreamer's heart in order to _

_Find the sky that's waiting for you._

Only dreamers can fly.

The sky is waiting. Waiting for you to soar. Waiting for you to dream.

Are you ready?

* * *

Credits / Inspiration:

Twas the Night before Christmas by Moore (quite obviously)

AmaLee's English cover of Innocence, opening to SAO season 2. Look it up, it's awesome.

What do you think? Is this universe worth expanding upon?


End file.
